A/N: Hello everyone! I know what you're thinking, but no, I have not disappeared off the face of the earth. However, I have returned to Singapore so it's been very hectic! I'm so sleepy… aargh jetlag!
And another little development: I HAVE FINALLY WATCHED CAPTAIN AMERICA 2! It was awesome! And I was extremely surprised to see that there were some similarities with my Chapter 1! For instance, he does wear hoods and there's this weird metal cuff that hangs him on the wall… I believe I am a psychic!
And finally, thank you for all the support. Reading your comments makes me so happy! I shall now reply to some questions:
Karou: Alas… I have only now realized that Elizabeth Turner is Elizabeth Swann. I have not watched Pirates of the Caribbean so I didn't know. Thanks for alerting me to that. No, it won't be a crossover… I don't have that talent. Thank you for reading :)
Guest: Thank you! Hope you enjoy :)
Now, onwards!
I'm sitting, looking out the window. Everything looks so small below, so small that I can cover whole cities with just one finger. If only I could erase all my problems like that. Although, I'm coming close to doing so today. Closer than I've ever been in my whole life. I sigh, out of worry, anticipation, or something else, I don't know.
The team is in another room - to think, they even have small rooms in jets - talking and catching up. They apparently haven't met together in five years since the invasion. I hear occasional bursts of laughter, primarily in Stark's voice. And so now I'm alone here...
Suddenly, the door to my room opens and in comes Stark. I'd only ever seen him in newspapers and occasionally on television interviews. I stand up immediately but then lean to one side. My hip still hurts. Nevertheless, I offer my hand for him to shake. We hadn't really got the time to introduce ourselves in the meeting and I've always been one of his 'fans'.
He smiles that easy-going grin of his, waves my hand aside, and says, "Sit down." I do, and he sits next to me.
"So, what're you here for? I gather you're not just our normal informer."
I pause for a second before answering. Should I have a bit of fun with this? "I'm a mind reader," I say.
He nods, less surprised than I thought he'd be. "Impressive," he says, though he doesn't look like it. "Then can you read me?"
I close my eyes in what I think is a mystic manner and place my finger on his hand. After what I think is a decent pause I open them and say, "Well, Mr. Stark, venturing into the bio technic industry is more stressful than you think, hm?"
He is clearly surprised at this. "Not bad," he says. "I suppose you could know my darkest secrets then?" The way he says it makes it sound like a dare, but everything else makes it seem as though he's nervous.
I do know, in fact. Yinsen, Afghanistan. All the things that were written in the files.
I smile. "Oh, Mr. Stark, you're so much more gullible than I thought! I just read the news, that's all." He doesn't need to know that I know. People don't like it when you know their weaknesses.
He laughs. "You got me," he admits. He looks almost relieved. "And for that, you get to call me Tony."
I bow and then wink at him. "I am ever so grateful." I am, actually. He's helped me release some of the tension building up.
At that moment, Banner comes in. "I like this girl," Tony says to him as soon as he comes in.
"Good, it'll build better teamwork," Banner replies. "Nice to meet you," he says. We shake hands. He's much more professional than Tony.
"Nice to meet you too," I reply. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Only the good things, I hope," he says laughing.
"Is there anything else?" I ask innocently.
"I can see why you like this girl," he says to Tony. "Be sure to keep an eye on him for me," he whispers confidentially.
"What do you mean?" Tony asks, surprised. "You're not coming?"
"Of course not," Bruce replies. "Wouldn't want to Hulk out on everyone mid-way." He jokes, but in his eyes is a certain solemnity that I cannot place.
And then in comes Barton. The room is getting very crowded. I stand up again but he brushes me aside as he goes into the adjoining room. "Barton?" I call.
He turns back. "Don't ruin this mission. I don't have time to look after a rookie." Then he leaves.
"Huh," I say, "you'd think five years would be enough to get over being brainwashed," I mutter.
They both look at me curiously. "What?" I ask. Did I say something wrong?
"How did you know about that? I'm pretty sure it wasn't in the 'news'," Tony asks tentatively.
Whoops. Another mistake.
Just then, the intercom turns on and I can hear Romanoff say, "Positions!"
Saved by the bell. They look at each other but then reluctantly go out of my room. At least I won't have to answer his question until later. Hopefully never.
"She knows more than she lets on," Bruce muses in his room with Tony.
"You think?" Tony replies. "I'll have to find out for myself how much she knows. Never trust S.H.I.E.L.D. with these things."
"She seems nice though," Bruce adds.
Tony is too busy already checking files.
A while ago I had been flying high in the sky, but now I'm underground. There are monitors everywhere, from security cameras in the building to the viewpoints of the team. They have everything.
Romanoff is sitting behind me, masking her outrage. I would have been convinced nothing was the matter if I hadn't eavesdropped on her conversation a while ago.
"I'm not staying out of this mission, Fury," she insisted. "This is our first team mission after the Chituari incident. And that was four years ago."
"So what, you're sentimental, Agent?" She was silent at this, perhaps she even glared at him. "Do you want to stay with your friends and endanger this whole mission?"
"No, sir," she said in a clear voice. "But, I see no connection between the fate of this mission and me having to look after the informer."
"She's obviously not trained enough to defend herself. And after Rogers, she trusts you the most."
She'd practically barged out of the room after that. I took care to avoid her, not wanting to show her the reason of her exclusion.
"I'm sorry you're stuck with me," I tentatively say. I know she's mad - even if she doesn't look like it - and I don't want to provoke her even more. My life might be endangered.
"It was Fury's orders, not yours," she replies. Her tone is just slightly impatient. That's not good. Her composure is usually flawless so the fact that she's letting her emotions show means that her anger must be really strong.
There's a silence as we've both run out of things to say. I'm too scared and she's too antisocial. It's not my fault. Although, come to think about it, I haven't really had a decent conversation in a couple years.
It's still not my fault.
But there's one thing that's been on my mind that I just have to ask now. If she doesn't want to talk, well, I'll make her.
"Agent Romanoff," I say as clearly as I can. "I need to ask you something."
"Speak," she says. Yikes, she's talking in the imperative.
"What happened to Clark?" I spurt it out before I change my mind.
She looks at me searchingly for a second. Evidently, this wasn't what she had in mind. "He's dead," she replies with a finality that makes my heart drop. I close my eyes and rest my head on the wall. Another one. Yet another one.
Before I know it, she's continued talking. "He killed one of our Agents and then took his form, only long enough to get into our headquarters and systems. After making his own identity, he adopted a new form and called himself Clark. We didn't realize the Agent had been missing till the other day, when we tried to find out how Clark had stayed here for so long." She says it almost earnestly. I open my eyes and look straight at her.
"Why are you telling me this? Isn't it 'classified information'?"
"I'm telling you this to say you did the right thing. That man was a murderer. Don't blame yourself."
I look down, wanting to avoid her eyes. They bore into me, as if it'll make me change my mind. "And what am I? A Nobel Peace Prize laureate?" She stares at me for a while longer. "Ok," I say. "You're right." I know what she can do and I'd rather she not do it to me.
"You don't believe me," she says it as a statement. She opens her mouth to say something else, but suddenly the communicator in my ear starts with a static sound.
"We're ready," Rogers says.
I lean forward, scanning the area below me for figures. I see them hiding behind a tall building.
She glances at me but evidently decides to talk to me later. She presses the communicator closer. "Commence operation in three, two, one, go," she says.
And so it starts.